This first assignment asks you to examine your own cultural identity – to describe how you define yourself as a cultural being – and to show how that affects your communication style. The following questions are to help you construct that definition. You don’t need to answer every question, and there may be points you include in your paper that aren’t addressed by the questions, but use the questions as a jumping off point.
What are my racial, ethnic, national origins?
How do my gender and class define me?
Are there particular myths or stories I remember from childhood that have helped to define me?
Are there particular rituals I remember from childhood that have helped to define me?
How does my personal cultural profile affect my relationship to American culture?
How does my personal cultural profile affect the rituals I participate in now or the stories I tell?
How does my personal cultural profile affect how I communicate both informally with friends and family, and in more formal settings as, for example, an internship, the classroom, or a club? Some aspects of communication style you could comment on are:
topics you frequently find yourself talking about
use of nonverbal communication
use of interruption
use of silence
affinity for or dislike of argumentation
channels of communication you rely on
It should be between two and three typed pages.
Please format all assignments as follows: Typed or word-processed (using a dark ink) in APA citation style, double-spaced, 10 or 12 point font, one inch margins on all sides. Be sure to include your name, as well as a title for the assignment.
